Kimber KDS9c Review: Better than Staccato?

Metal-framed handguns are seeing a massive resurgence in popularity, especially double-stack 1911 and 2011-style handguns.

More and more people are starting to appreciate good triggers and fast shooting, low-recoiling platforms.

Kimber recognized this trend and delivered their all-new KDS9c to compete with the likes of guns such as the Staccato C2 and Wilson EDC X9.

With the Kimber coming in at a much lower price than its competitors, I had a few questions. Will it work? Can it hang with the big dogs? Is it worth the asking price?

A good bit of range time answered everything and yielded some surprising results. Read on to find out!

Why You Should Trust Us

What can I say? I love guns so much I have over 200 firearms (I know, I have a problem).

But I am also a huge stickler for bargain buys, and I don’t believe in overpaying for products. I enjoy taking the time to find out what works, what doesn’t, and what is worth it.

Being around guns most of my life has given me two decades of firearms experience, including hunting, competition, certified instructing, and plenty of time concealed carrying.

Kimber KDS9c

$1,104

at BattleHawk Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$1,104 at BattleHawk Armory

• BattleHawk Armory (See Price)
• Kygunco (See Price)
• Palmetto State Armory (See Price)

Prices accurate at time of writing

Available Coupons

• 25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
  Copied! Visit Merchant

Source: Kimber

Kimber KDS9c Background

Kimber set out to create a sleek, concealable, double-stack pistol geared heavily toward personal protection.

Although the KDS9c may look like a standard 1911 at first glance, Kimber created this gun entirely from the ground up to avoid having any adaptation issues.

High-end double-stack 1911s and 2011s are known for their hefty price tags, often costing $2,000 or more.

Kimber sought to challenge this status quo by releasing the KDS9c in August of this year with an MSRP of $1,499.

Who Is It For?

These guns are made for those seeking a slick, accurate, and fast concealed carry gun who don’t mind toting around something a little bit bigger for the performance increase.

The KDS9c is meant to offer a more affordable alternative to guns like the Staccato CS, C2, Wilson EDC X9, and SFX9 without sacrificing performance.

Fit & Feel

If you couldn’t tell by the pictures, this gun leans very heavily on the 1911. This means it retains a similar grip angle, straight-back trigger, and classic thumb safety of the 1911.

It is a commander-style gun, sporting a beautiful 4.09-inch fluted barrel with a generous target crown.

A 7075-aluminum alloy frame with a generous amount of material machined away helps keep the KDS9c to a relatively light 25.3 ounces. For reference, an empty Glock 19 weighs 22 ounces.

The rounded butt of the grip and the slim G10 grip panels help this gun feel much less blocky than my Staccato C2. The weight and ergonomic grip make this gun comfortable to hold and shoot.

This brings me to my first gripe. The texturing and checkering on both the frame and grip panels look nice, but it is too rounded for me. Sharper edges would provide a more aggressive grip, which is important on lighter guns.

Secondly, the trigger undercut is far too skinny to actually serve its intended purpose. A good undercut should let your second finger rest entirely in the groove.

The slide release is adequately sized without being obtrusive, and the magazine release is placed well. The safety was easy to manipulate, tactile, and didn’t feel like it would accidentally engage.

While the slide is optics-ready with an RSMC footprint, no plates are included, and they are not yet available as of the time of writing.

My Lyman Digital Gauge yielded an average trigger pull of 3.25 lbs. There is a bit of take up, a soft-but-noticeable wall, followed by a clean break. Reset is fairly short and tactile.

Nothing crazy here, just a good 1911 trigger.

How Does It Shoot?

This is where my expectations were exceeded — with a few minor caveats. She is a shooter.

The iron sight picture of the KDS9c is excellent and is well-suited for combat usage. With no plates available, I tested with irons only.

I experienced outstanding precision throughout testing. Accuracy was close to my Staccato C2, as seen below, which was impressive.

However, this gun did shoot to the right. Usually, I would adjust the sights and call it a day, but the rear sight is not windage adjustable — the manual calls for the front sight to be moved for windage adjustments.

Unfortunately, the front dovetail was too small for my Wheeler sight pusher. Attempting to move it without a sight pusher was futile; that thing is on there. This might be a one-off situation, but this was my biggest complaint.

There is a bit more muzzle flip than a heavy steel-frame gun, but the ergonomics and good trigger made controlling the recoil a breeze.

Double taps and Mozambique drills were easy. With some Talon grips, it would be even better.

Reliability was my biggest concern, as it is with any double-stack 1911-style gun. Over the course of 500 rounds, I personally suffered zero stoppages with FMJ or hollow point ammo.

I do want to note that on the very last trip, my girlfriend suffered one failure to feed, which was remedied by a slight tap. This may have been due to limpwristing or ammo; it is tough to say.

Kimber’s proprietary 15-round magazines seem to work exceptionally well and are even easy to load by hand. Bad mags are what typically kill guns like this, so kudos to Kimber.

What Sets The Kimber KDS9c Apart?

Call me a heretic, but you are getting performance close to the Staccato C2 and the Wilson EDC X9.

The difference is that an optics-ready C2 is $1,000 more than the Kimber, and an optics-ready Wilson is an eye-watering $2,000 more.  

For a street price of around $1,300, you are replicating that 2011 feel and performance. While there is room for improvement with the KDS9c, I feel it is priced much more fairly than many other comparable guns.

I have long said there is an artificial tax on 2011s and double-stack 1911s, but I am glad to see companies like Kimber and BUL Armory offering similar guns at much more aggressive price points.

By the Numbers

Accuracy

4.5/5

I was able to get precise groups that were comparable to my Staccato C2. The sights being so difficult to adjust for windage knocks off half a point.

Reliability

4.5/5

This would have been a clear 5/5, but a single malfunction on the last day of testing has to be mentioned. It may have not even been the gun’s fault.

Customization

2/5

An optics-ready slide will eventually allow for the mounting of optics. The lack of an accessory rail and a proprietary frame shape means holster options will likely be limited.

Ergonomics

4/5

The gun feels very svelte and comfortable in the hand. I wish the checkering was more aggressive and the trigger undercut was bigger.

Value

4/5

You are getting alot of gun for the money compared to its competitors. I would like to see the gun come with optics plates included and maybe one more mag.

Overall

4/5

This is an excellent shooter that offers a ton of performance for the money. A few minor tweaks to the platform would make this gun a true 5/5.

See how we rate guns & gear in our reviews. Learn more >

Kimber KDS9c Upgrades & Accessories

Holosun HS507K X2

$295 at OpticsPlanet

Kore Essentials X7 Tactical Gun Belts

$59 at Kore Essentials

Magtech 115 gr 9mm Ammo

$12 at GrabAGun

MagLula Pistol Magazine Loader

$33 at Gunmag Warehouse

Final Verdict

Dropping $2,300 on a badass carry piece isn’t for everyone, but some people are still looking for something nicer than a $500 gun. Kimber identified this and created the KDS9c to occupy that middle ground.

They seem to have taken their time to deliver a well-functioning firearm out of the gate.

I would like to see slightly redesigned grip texturing, a windage adjustable rear sight, and included optics plates, but the core of the gun works incredibly well for its intended role.

Some people might take umbrage with some of the comparisons I made, but that isn’t a bad thing. Quality competition at affordable prices challenges the status quo surrounding expensive guns, which means the consumer wins — and I like that.

Kimber KDS9c

$1,104

at BattleHawk Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$1,104 at BattleHawk Armory

• BattleHawk Armory (See Price)
• Kygunco (See Price)
• Palmetto State Armory (See Price)

Prices accurate at time of writing

Available Coupons

• 25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
  Copied! Visit Merchant

What are your thoughts on the KDS9c? Let us know in the comments below! Like these types of firearms? Be sure to check out our article on the Best Double-Stack 1911s of 2023!